Buying The Correct Golf Clubs

You will have no doubt have noticed that their are a great variety of golf clubs available out there. Trying to decide which set to buy can be a tough decision and cause some considerable confusion. It may be worth considering some tips on how to make the selection process less complicated and more of an enjoyable experience and less of a chore.

1/ Determine Your Playing Levels
Some golfers play for the weekend game and there are others who would like to take the game a bit more seriously and move up in the ranks. If the occasional game is your preferred choice, a low- to mid-performance club can work for you, while a high-performance club is best suited to those who want to play more regularly.

2/ Work Out A Budget
The belief that the more expensive the club the better it is may not be that simple anymore. If you do sufficient preparation and read reviews you will find a club that matches your level of interest. Do not be afraid to look into the possibility of acquiring used clubs as they can give you the best opportunities of getting the best clubs you need at a reasonable price.

Once you know your level of interest and have worked out a budget, here is a brief explanation of the different types of golf clubs and what each one does.

Woods
A typical golfer's bag will consist of a driver (called 1-wood) and a couple of fairway woods (a 3 and/or 5-wood). In length the driver is the longest club (usually 45 inches) making it the hardest to control during a swing.

Irons
The main characteristic features of an Iron are that they are thin clubheads with grooves on it. Experienced players choose a blade style iron while beginners get a cavity-back style. A blade-style has a clubhead with a full back, whereas a cavity back's clubhead is hollow. It is hollowed out to make a perimeter weighting effect more beneficial for the less-experienced golfers.

Irons are classified as long (1, 2, 3,4), mid- (5,6,7) and short (8,9). Short irons are the easiest to hit while the long ones are the the most difficult. The shorter the iron, the more loft there is and for beginners, the more loft you can achieve, the better.

Putters
Putters are the most often used clubs in the game and come in clubhead styles of blade, heel-toe and mallet. Lengths are described as belly putters, standard and broomstick, (also referred to as long) putters. Deciding which option to go for is very much a personal choice.

Utility, or Hybrid Clubs
These clubs combine features of woods and irons and are best for beginners who might not wish to buy too many clubs at the outset.

As a final word before making your final decision to buy your preferred clubs, it is worth considering that most new clubs fit individuals at the average height of 5'10" for men and 5'5" for women. If you are significantly shorter or taller than these figures, you should get your club fitted according to your height.

Begin with these considerations when deciding on your choice of golf clubs. This approach will stand you in good stead in making future decisions. The game will become that much more enjoyable as your love of golf progresses if you put the groundwork in now with these relatively simple considerations.

Author: Frank Pasinski is a keen golfer and is also the webmaster of several golf sites including www.golfclubstobuy.com